To Settle The Score
by Dr.HousexVicodin
Summary: With her personal life hanging by a thread, finding somebody who's meant for her seems like a mere dream for Dr. Cuddy. But, one night, she finds a certain somebody unleashing her inner self. CuddyCameron


**Author's Ramblings: Short fic that came to me in the middle of the night. Obviously, the song used in this is called _We're Young and Beautiful _by Carrie Underwood. I am in no way associated with House, M.D., the FOX Network, or Carrie Underwood. I make no money. **

**To Settle The Score**

It was late. Far too late. IN fact, it was so late that four hours had tick-tocked by into the early morning, and Cameron hadn't even realized it.

And, for the record, it was 1:17 AM.

But there she was, in the diagnosis room, plugging away on her laptop with that Responsible-Doctor attitude that she so gracefully possessed. Cameron was working on the final draft of her article for The New Jersey Journal of Immunology, and she was not about to give up just because of the hour.

Cameron made quite a beautiful scene in the empty diagnosis room. With her bare feet propped up on the glass table, Cameron's usual shin-length skirt fell past her knees, and for once, modesty wasn't an importance to her. Her thick brown hair was tied up into a loose pony tail, and she had striped down to just her thin black camisole.

No, this was not the usual Allison Cameron you see everyday.

Blasting –okay, not blasting, but it was loud- from Cameron's laptop was _We're Young and Beautiful _by Carrie Underwood. In a way, it was Cameron's inner anthem, the song that described how she wished she could live, but never could. Life was too complicated to live in a country song, Cameron had decided.

"While we're young and beautiful," Cameron sang, "kiss me like you mean it!"

- - -

_It's a cra-a-azy ride, and ba-a-aby you and I are keeping are sweet love alive tonight while we're young and beautiful._

There that damn song went again. It was _We're Young and Beautiful _by Carrie Underwood, and it had been stuck in Cuddy's head all day long, thanks to one fateful turn of the radio station that morning in the car.

"Oh, how do I hate my life, let me count the ways," she muttered to herself as she walked slowly down the hallways of her beloved hospital. At that point, the hospital was all Cuddy had going for her. Her personal life was crumbling beneath her and Cuddy was beginning to realize that she may never find that "perfect somebody" that people are always talking about in romantic comedies. Unhappy with the current state of things, Cuddy let out a melancholy sigh as she made her way out of the lifeless hospital.

- - -

As the final mouthful of coffee passed Cameron's lips, the notorious click-clack-click-clack of Dr. Cuddy's sophisticated shoes echoed through the hallways outside of the diagnosis room. Though Cameron heard the clicks and the clacks, she barely paid any attention to them, and instead, did the unthinkable.

Cameron stood up on her chair and held her arms out to balance herself, then climbed up onto the table. She didn't care that the windows where glass, she didn't care that she could break the table, Cameron's sole desire was to let go of all of the stress, all of the feelings of both lust and hate that clouded her mind, and just relax, to put it bluntly.

"While we're young and beautiful, we'll party down on main street, wearing next to nothing, feeling every heart beat!" Cameron sang, hips swaying to the rhythm of the music.

- - -

"What in God's name…?" It was the music Cuddy heard first. That dreadful song that had played on the radio that morning was now playing again. Then the dancing, Cuddy saw that next. She pulled open the door to House's office, then the doors to the diagnosis room and- Oh God, Cuddy thought. It was Cameron.

"Oh, it's a cra-a-azy ride and ba-a-aby you and I-"

"Still here?" Cuddy didn't want to stop Cameron, really, she could've watched her sing and dance all night long. The say of Cameron's hips was an extremely pleasurable thing for Cuddy's eyes to watch, but more so, it was seeing Cameron be so free. It was so much different from the timid little girl Cuddy so frequently saw in Cameron, and seeing her in ways other than that was really a hard thing to let go of. But, in all fairness to Cameron, Cuddy would keep herself from watching any longer. Wonderful thing #72 down the drain.

Universe: 1, 568

Cuddy: 0

At the sound of Cuddy's voice, Cameron's eyes flew open and she started, mortified. "Christ," Cameron muttered as she jumped off the table, nearly falling to the ground as she did so. Cameron reached for her crimson blouse that lay crumpled up on the floor and threw it over her shoulders in shame. Hot, hot tears burned Cameron's eyes as she averted Cuddy's, the happiness had recently dwelled in had vanished into thin air. Cameron was absolutely horrified that Cuddy had seen her acting in such… Inappropriate ways. If anybody was to see her dance and sing on a table, the last person she would choose would be Cuddy.

Cameron quickly shut off the laptop and shoved it half-heartedly into its carrying case. As she did, those hot tears spilled onto her delicate cheeks.

"Lisa, I mean… I mean, Dr. Cuddy, I-I'm so sorry. You- I- I'm so sorry for acting like this."

_Lisa. _

Cuddy's first name had rolled so smoothly off of Cameron's tongue, Cuddy noted and it was almost… Romantic.

"I'm sorry," Cameron said again as she turned to face the door and was ready to leave. As Cameron reached for the door handle, Cuddy caught Cameron by the wrist, and pulled her back into the diagnosis room.

Cameron didn't –couldn't- resist.

"Don't be sorry," Cuddy said softly, moving her hand from Cameron's wrist to Cameron's hand.

They both looked at each and, for a moment, Cameron caught her reflection in Cuddy's pupils. It was the most wonderful thing Cameron had ever witnessed, and in that moment, Cameron and Cuddy were one.

With her free hand, Cuddy brought it to Cameron's cheek. "Beautiful," she whispered, "Young and beautiful. "

"Oh, it's a cra-a-azy ride and ba-a-aby you and I," Cameron whispered back, "are keeping our sweet love alive."

"Tonight, while we're young and beautiful."

"Oh-so beautiful."

It was the perfect kiss. Deep, sensual, and beautiful. Fingers were tangled in the other's hair, eyes had fallen closed.

The score hadn't been settled quite yet, but Cuddy had gained a point. Finally, things where looking up.

Universe: 1, 568

Cuddy: 1


End file.
